Electric sign with movable interchangeable



Feb. 9, 1960 2,924,034

G. G. LEEDS ELECTRIC SIGN WITH MOVABLE INTERCHANGEABLE GAS DISCHARGE TUBE LETTERS Filed Aug. 23, 1956 Z6 INVENTOR.

. igi w M WQMN :JJ a 1%.6 2/ M w. A 50 7 ATTORNEYS Unite ELECTRIC SIGN WITH MOVABLE INTERCHANGE- ABLE GAS DISCHARGE TUBE LETTERS This invention relates to electric signs and more especially to signs having the characters constructed from luminous gas discharge tubes.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved sign, of the character indicated having free standing letters, each of which includes a base on which the legend stands or by which it is held. Another object is to provide legends for luminous tube signs with the bases of all of the legends identical in construction so that the cost of the legends can be reduced by mass production and a more uniform product obtained. The individual legends can be interchanged with one another to spell out various words or messages.

Another object is to provide individual legends which can be moved in their holders for making the legends extend either normal or parallel to the supporting surface by which the bases of the legends are carried.

One advantage of the invention is that the individual legends can be connected with independent secondaries so that the system can operate on low voltage. This reduces the cost of insulation and permits the use of standard electrical fittings suitable for low voltage.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

In the drawings, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

Figure 1 is a front view showing a portion of a sign constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 1, the view being taken at the line 2-2;

Figure 3 is a reduced scale view showing the way in which the invention is applied to a sign supported from a vertical surface;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged front view of the base of one of the legends shown in Figure 1 and with part of the front section broken away;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, partly broken away and in section, of the end of one of the tubes from which the legends are made; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows three legends 11, 12 and 13, each of which consists of a luminous tube and a supporting base. Each base is indicated by the reference character 15 and it is one of the features of the invention that the construction of each of the bases 15 is the same so that they can be used interchangeably with any legend.

Each base 15 is made with recesses 16 in its opposite ends for receiving the ends of the tubes from which the legends are constructed. The recesses 16 are preferably in line with one another, and the ends of each tube also in line to fit these recesses. One advantage of this construction is that the base can be turned around to locate the electrical terminals either in front of the legend or behind it. This is of significance when the letters are rates Patent 0 ice located parallel to vertical surfaces, as will be explained more fully in connection with one of the other figures.

The base 15 has front and back sections clamped together by locking or fastening means, here shown as screws 18. This construction is best shown in Figure 7. The front and back sections of the base are indicated by the reference characters 21 and 22, respectively. The lower ends of the sections 21 and 22 diverge from one another to provide a flaring lower end which fits into a guideway 24. This guideway has holes in it for screws 26 by which the guideway 24 is connected to a support 28. A recess 30, in the bottom of the base 15, provides clearance so that the base 15 can slide along the guide way 24 without striking the screws 26.

The guideway 24 is preferably made of a strip of metal bent upwardly along its opposite side edges to provide flanges 32 which converge toward their upper edges to provide an undercut or dovetail channel into which the flaring lower end of the base 15 fits. In the preferred construction, the flanges 32 are resilient and bent inwardly at angles which require a slight displacement of the flanges when the base 15 is inserted into the guideway 24 from either end. This gives the guideway a friction grip on each base 15 for holding the base in any position to which it is adjusted by sliding it along the-guideway. There are terminals or pins 35 extending out from the back section 22, and there are conductors 37 leading from the respective pins 35 into the different recesses 16 at opposite ends of the base. The conductors are of spring material and have free ends in the recesses which serve as brushes to maintain contact with the end terminals of the tubes. Current is supplied to the base by a flexible cable 40 having an end fitting 41 which slips over the pins 35 in a manner well understood in the art. The other end of the cable 40 is connected with a transformer 42 (Figure 1) and in the construction illustrated, there are two cables 40 conected with each of the transformers 42. The support 28 in the construction shown, provides a housing for holding as many transformers 42 as may be necessary for the number of legends used in the sign, and each trans former supplies two legends. The support 28 has openings in its back wall for passage of the cables 40 and there are enough openings to permit the legends 11-13 to be located at any desired location along the support 28. The transformers 42 can be moved into different positions in the support 28.

The flexible cables 40 are long enough to provide some choice in the relative positions of the legends 11-13 and the transformers 42; and there are flexible connections 45 for supplying power to the primary windings of the transformers 42. The flexibility of these connections 45 provides for variation in the distance between successive transformers 42.

The transformers are joined to the power connections 45 in parallel and any number of transformers can have their primary windings joined in parallel by the connec tions 45, depending upon the length of the sign and the number of legends in it. For economical design each transformer preferably has one primary and two secondary windings. Each secondary supplies power for one legend. More conventional series connections can be used if desired. Each luminous tube includes an electrode in each end of the tube and a wire leading from the electrode to an external cap or terminal 50 cemented or otherwise securely attached to the tube. Figure 6 shows an end terminal 50 on one end of the tube of the legend 11. This terminal 50 fits within a recess of the base, and one of the spring conductors 37 is preferably soldered, or otherwise secured, to the end terminal 50. If a soldered connection is desired, a flexible conductor is provided between the end terminal 50 and pins 35 to a tube, the tube is placed with its end terminals 50 in that part of the recases 16 which are in the back section 22 of the 'base, and the front section 21 is then placed in position to locate the other half of each recess 16 over the corresponding ends of the tube, and the screws 18 are inserted and tightened enough to hold the base firmly against the end terminals of the tube with a substantial friction pressure.

Figures 1 and 2 show the legends extending normal to a panel 55 to which the support 28 is located. It is a feature of the invention that each of the legends can be swung through an angle for mounting in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 where the legends extend substantially parallel to a vertical panel 57.

Figure 3 shows separate legends 61 and 62 supported independently from difierent guideways 24 attached to the panel 57 at different levels. The cables 46 extend through openings 59 in the panel 57 and lead to a transformer 42 (Figure 4) located behind the panel.

In Figures 3 and 4, the flexible cables 40 extend upwardly from the bases 15 of the legends 61 and 62. However, the bases 15 can be removed from the legends and turned end for end to make the cables 40 extend downwardly. This is desirable when the legends are used with shields in front of the panel 57 for hiding the wires leading to the legend bases.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made and some features used in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric sign comprising a plurality of different legends, each of which is made from a separate gas-filled tube having terminals at its opposite ends with the terminals spaced from one another but extending toward one another and in axial alignment with one another, an individual base for each-of the tubes, each of the bases having recesses therein for receiving the opposite end terminals of the tube, and means for clamping the base to the terminals of the tube for holding the tube in a pre-determined assembled relation to the base, whereby the legends can be rotated about the aligned axes of their terminals to adapt the legends selectively for horizontal or vertical or sloping base supports.

2. An electric sign comprising a plurality of separate legends, each of the legends being made from a separate tube and each tube having end portions with terminals thereon, the end portions of the tubes being in alignment with one another and extending toward one another, an individual base for each tube, the bases for all of the tubes being similar and interchangeable, and aligned and releasable clamping means on each base for securing thebase to the end portions of the tube of the legend to which that base is attached, the tubes being rotatable in the clamping means when the latter are released.

3. An electric sign legend including a gas-filled tube shaped to the character of the legend, and having cylindrical end portions extending toward one another and in alignment with one another, and a base to which the tube is connected, the base having aligned cylindrical bearings for receiving the end portions of the tube, clamping means on the base for resisting rotation of the tube insaid bearings, the portions of the tube near the cylindrical bearings and the tube having clearance from the base sufficient to provide for swinging movement of the legend through an angle of 90 degrees about the axis of the cylindrical bearings.

4. A legend for an electricsign including a gas-filled tube having the shape of the character of the legend, end portions on the tube extending toward one another and in alignment with one another, a base comprising two opposite halves which fit together over the end portions of the tube with recesses in the opposite halves for receiving '4 part of each of the end portions of the tube, means securing the opposite halves of the base together to clamp the base against the end portions of the tube, terminal caps on the parts of the tube which are clamped within said recesses, the portions of the tube beyond the recesses being shaped to provide a clearance from the base sufficient for movement of the legend through an angle of degrees with respect to the base, so that the legend can extend horizontally or vertically with respect to the base, side walls of the base which flare outwardly as they extend downwardly for holding the base in a channel having upwardly converging side walls, terminal pins at one side of the base, conductors extending from the terminal pins to the terminal caps of the tube within the recesses, the bottom of the base having a longitudinally extending recess throughout its full length.

5. A set of letters for an electric sign, each of the letters comprising a separate gas-filled tube having end portions which are cylindrical and which extend toward one another and which are in alignment with one another, and an individual base connected with each tube, all of the bases for the different letters being similar and interchangeable with one another, and each of the bases having aligned cylindrical bearings in position to receive the cylindrical end portions of the tube with clearance between the base and the part of the tube beyond the cylindrial hearings to provide swinging movement of the tube around the axis of the cylindrical bearings through an angle of 90 degrees for locating the letter in either a horizontal or a vertical position when the base is in a vertical or horizontal position, respectively.

6. An electric sign including a plurality of separate tubes, each of which represents a diiferent legend of the sign, each tube having cylindrical portions at its opposite ends with terminals for connecting with electrical conductors, the cylindrical end portions of each tube extending toward one another and being in alignment with one another, an individual base for each tube, the bases for the different tubes being similar and interchangeable with one another, and the bases having cylindrical bearings for receiving the aligned cylindrical end portions of the tube, means on each base for clamping the cylindrical bearings of the base to the tube to resist relative movement of the base and tube, the clamping means being releasable to permit swinging of the tube about the axis of the cylindrical hearings, and the tube beyond the cylindrical bearings having clearance from the base suificient to provide for angular movement of the legend from a vertical to a horizontal position with respect to the base, a support for holding the bases in various selected positions with respect to one another, a housing on which the support is located, a plurality of transformers located within thehousing and connected in parallel with a source of power and each of which has flexible conductors leading from the housing to one of the bases on the support, and conductors within the base for connecting the conductors from the transformer to terminals that are at opposite ends of the tube and located within the cylindrical bearings for supplying current to the tube.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,888,366- Willens Nov. 22, 1932 1,914,074 Bruijnes et al June 13, 1933 1,943,772 Prouty Jan. 16, 1934 2,163,442 Wiegand June 20, 1939 2,220,618 Tschopp Nov. 5, 1940' 2,284,309 Tschopp May 26, 1942 2,305,942 Weiss Dec. 22, 1942 2,573,413- Duncan Oct. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 365,488 Great Britain Jan. 21, 1932 

